Wednesday, 6 December 2017

Did you like our Autumn session with Rafa-kids A teen bed? We are coming back to you with even more inspiration in a similar atmosphere. For the first time, we've set our Rafa-kids F&A bed set in two different wood fishes. I think they look stunning and even more playful than the beds in the same tone. This way you can create a separate atmosphere on the upper and lower bed.

If one child has the F&A bed set, the lower A teen bed can be used for lying, sitting or chilling out during the day and the upper part is only for sleeping, ( you don’t need to make the bed each day then!) and of course, it can be used for sleepovers. Many of our customers ask what is the difference between the whitewash and natural wood finish. I hope you can see on the pictures, that the whitewash has a warm tone but the wooden structure is hardly visible, and the wood fish has a structure of wood more present. You can see it so well on the last picture with Rafa-kids BB bench 120cm.

Rafa-kids also collected plenty of beautiful new accessories. Please welcome the cutest ever Mini Birdie from LuckyBoySunday, playful Felt Balls, and new Nomad Cushions. I also found this lovely Corona wool blanket which is so light and warm at the same time. We are also a bit obsessed at Rafa-kids with the mustard color at the moment, and that’s why we have now in our collection this beautiful Mustard Bedding set. Last but not least, our storage is filled with plenty of new felt baskets….in White, Soft Pink and Yellow! We like winter season with a bit of bright and colorful touch.

Sunday, 3 December 2017

Some time ago I showed you this very nice: Custom designed room, and it’s looking like you've liked it! Today I have another great example how to create modern kid's room. When Angelika and Andreas Zenkl moved to Sydney’s Paddington they asked a designer, Angy Ertel of Ertel Design to create a playful and functional space for their daughters, Aimee and Camille.

“It was tricky to fit in a bunk bed, desk and lots storage but still leave space for play”. Aimee and Camille’s room was designed with storage in mind, with its mix of open and closed shelving. Large toy drawers under the shelving units and bench seat… “Since it’s a quite a small space, I wanted everything to connect” says Any. Books and toys are displayed on open shelving, with a gap below and section to allow it to be used as an extra desk. Angy about the design of the bunk bed: “ I designed it with flexibility in mind so that if the girls don’t want to share further down the track, the top bunk can be removed and the room will still look great. A drawer under the bed holds a mattress for sleepovers.“

Do you like this compact and elegant space?

It’s a great example that even when we don’t have plenty of space, with good ideas we can create a unique room for our kids. Well done!

Thursday, 16 November 2017

The days are getting colder and darker. I feel like I want to hide in my bed for few months and wake up in Spring. Autumn is not my favorite time of the year, unfortunately. In our last photo session for Rafa-kids I wanted to bring a bit of sunny and comfortable atmosphere inside our studio. A teen bed in natural wood is complemented with soft natural tones of white, grey and just a bit of mustard. Perfect cozy corner with modern simplicity style.

I discovered the Nomad Felt cushions some time ago, and I knew how I would like to use them. Create a playful headboard above Rafa-kids bed. Most of the headboards available on the market are a bit boring to use, and I wanted to have something more playful and fit our style. Nomad felt pillows are strong enough as you lean on them. It is also easy to hang them and take them off if you would like to sit on the floor. Please welcome in our collection the beautiful New Felt balls - which will cheer up your mood. A small imaginative ball fits so perfectly into your hands, and oh yes into the hands of your child. We hope you like our cozy room for this dark autumn evening.

Monday, 13 November 2017

I’m coming back with my regular Monday series about decorating the children’s rooms! I have a lot of new energy and would like to start with the colorful and airy theme - Hot Air Balloons. I see them here and there, but today I have gathered some interesting examples of how to decorate children’s rooms with them. Don't you think an Air Balloon is such a great symbol of traveling and exploring new places around the world? It took me some time to find a company which produces them, but there is a Dutch brand called - Authenticmodels which makes great ones. One or two Balloons in a child’s space looks already very nice, but we could also make a statement and hang plenty of them for the wow effect. As you can see they look great in a nursery room, toddler room or even pre-teener spaces. I could put them in any corner of my home as I find them a great element to use.

Friday, 10 November 2017

Today it will be a bit emotional post as the little bed you see on the pictures used to belong to our son. We designed Rafa-kids R toddler bed for our younger boy - Robert. He slept in it for few years, and now it was time to move into a bigger bed. I think many parents understand this a bit difficult moment when you have to accept the fact, that there is no more ‘little baby’ in the house.

Andrea is a landscaper and mother of three kids, Teo is 7 years old, Olivia 5 and Mauro is 2. Maybe you already know her from her beautiful IG - Teoyolivia. Her family lives in Galicia, in the north part of Spain. They are now a happy owner of Rafa-kids R toddler bed and Mauro can sleep in it. I'm so glad to see the room so beautify decorated. This is definitely how I see Rafa-kids furniture, passed from family to family, and from one generation to other. It is only possible for these special objects, which are well made from good quality materials, and of course taken good care off.

Thursday, 9 November 2017

Today we go very far away to see a weekend home for a family of six. Why? We spotted Rafa-kids design in kids’ room and we are glad to show it to you!

First a bit about this modern place designed around family gatherings both large and small.

“ …. The idea was to curate an environment that reflected a simpler life outside of New York City, with furnishings that align with the natural surroundings and feel right all year long. The house is in a quiet town in the Hamptons, close to town as well as to the beach. (…) clients wanted a house just large enough to accommodate their extended family and friends in a comfortable, cozy way…”

I can directly see that the interiors are warm and functional, with ‘less is more’ idea in mind and every object fits perfectly and feels just right. Many of the pieces were custom made and carefully sourced from small furniture makers. Yes, we are one of them! If you look carefully into the children’s room, you will spot our S shelves perfectly accommodated above the kid's beds. The use of the wallpaper is very dominant in this room, but I’m sure the kids love their sea theme atmosphere. You can find more about this project here: with a special thank you: Styling Katja Greef and Photography Nicole Franzen.

Monday, 9 October 2017

It’s so quiet here since a while. In 2017 I wrote the smallest number of posts since I started blogging. I think a lot of my energy went into Rafa-kids Instagram account, as it seems more direct and spontaneous way of connecting with people than blogging. It doesn’t mean I would like to stop my blog, but I need to find more time for it daily, and it’s just so difficult…does anyone know a trick to make the day longer than 24h?

This time it is an energetic catalog with a strong touch of yellow and dots patterns. We like this playful character of our third lookbook and are excited to get back to working with Asia. I hope you like the combination of simplicity of our bench and the world we created around it.

Saturday, 7 October 2017

Last Tuesday we went to look for inspiration at the biggest Design and Interior Fair in The Netherlands called - VT wonen&design Beurs taking place in Amsterdam. In 2016 I showed you space for kids, where the Dutch magazine vtwonen created their pavilion - here. This year the space for kids was again designed by one of the vtwonen stylist Corrien Flohil. You can see straight away that she is a boys mom! The dark Autumn atmosphere in this space was lifted up with accents in red and mustard. In the middle of the room was stood a bed built from drawers, which of course is a great storage idea. My favorite element in this room was the wall decoration with different sized boxes. It is a great way to expose all the little personal treasures of your child. On the other side of the room, Carrien arranged two working spaces, with many vintage and industrial elements. I listed few stores selling this kind of products below if you are interested. Even if you don’t like dark rooms for children, I think you can find interesting ideas to try, for a cozy and personal child's room.

Useful links where you can find some of the products used in this room :